The amazing transforming garage

[puntloos]

So.. the UK is weird about garages. But please challenge my claims if you disagree:

 

First of all, for detached houses, not having a garage is a major downside, especially above a certain price (or perhaps size, fanciness level.. all intertwined). 

But, nobody actually uses garages for storing cars! Now I kind of get it - space is at a premium, cars are more rustproof than previously

 

What I've done is create a garage + utility area that is specifically designed to:

 

1/ Fit a car outside the garage.

2/ Have a 'fake' garage - looks like one from the outside, but only 2m deep, where we can store smelly bins and bikes, but no (normal) car.

3/ Have a large utility room. 

 

But - if one wants an *actual* garage, you can move the internal (2m deep) wall all the way to the back, leaving a teensy but serviceable utility room, and space for a decent car. (5x3.2m).

 

See here:

 

 

The main compromise is that I have left only 20cm space in front of the garage to the edge of the plot for a normal midsize car (4.5m). Is that too little? 30cm? 

 

What do you think ?

[dpmiller]

what car do you have now and what will the next one be? Every generation gets bigger...

 

[willbish]

My initial thought was that you'd be deceiving potential buyers if you advertised the house as with a garage.

 

If it suits your needs and you're not planning to sell then why not. But 2 metres deep is not a garage in my eyes, maybe workshop?

 

Is that a shower tray in the corner of the garage?

[ProDave]

My garage has my Landrover in it.  I tell SWMBO that by doing so it reserves the space, so I can get either of the other 2 cars over the pit for an oil change whenever I want to.

 

If it suits you to use the garage for something else, then do so, but I would make provision for another room for the "something else" instead.  People do like garages even if mostly they would be better described as workshops.

[scottishjohn]

If you really want a transformer garage 

then dig a basement under it as your junk/service room

I am suprised with the space premium in  modern house plots these days that more do not have a basement for junk+services

 

 

[Ferdinand]

Certainly something I have seen; one was called a half-garage.  Particularly in newish houses, where built-in store cupboards are missing as they can reduce measured room size. @SteamyTea could call it a "Smart Car" Garage.

 

You need to decide what you call it in planning / building regs, and how you handle the conversion and future potential uses - which may require PP or Regs sometimes. Or you may choose to ignore that.

 

Obviously you need to do things like consider ufh if required, and putting your joists along the top of potential stud walls etc.

 

Also, calling it a garage may count against your required Planning Policy parking space quota if it is large enough - think it needs to be 6m x 3m, but check. For this plan, would need to be slightly wider and be called a "garage" in its entirety. You then need to be aware is required spaces minus one will be enough for you.

 

I think the current dimensions commit you to chucking out the passengers in the rain, and reversing in only for a RH Drive car.

 

So, really just map out your possible future plans carefully, and do not put stuff on the plans you do not want to have known.

 

Dirty bikes? Unconscionable :-). Wash them ?.

 

Ferdinand

 

 

 

[Ferdinand]

14 minutes ago, Sensus said:

 

What are you going to do about the mandatory 100mm (minimum) step down from the connecting door to the dwelling?

 

I think a fall away from the house door is an acceptable alternative. Make a flat section by the door so that wheelchair users have no risk of rolling away whilst opening the door.

 

 

[Bitpipe]

21 minutes ago, scottishjohn said:

If you really want a transformer garage 

then dig a basement under it as your junk/service room

I am suprised with the space premium in  modern house plots these days that more do not have a basement for junk+services

 

 

 

Agree - I have a full footprint basement including plant room. Plenty of junk (that i'm trying to get rid off) and two teenagers (they will go once the junk is sorted).

[Jeremy Harris]

I'd guess that it should be possible to build a solid garage floor that's a fair bit lower than the house floor, then cover that with an insulated floor to bring it up level with the other habitable areas when it's part of the utility room.  If there's a need to convert that space back to a garage, then remove the raised flooring along with the partition wall.

[Ferdinand]

And I suppose, never forget that it is no longer a garage.

 

 

 

[scottishjohn]

A friend of mine has a stand alone garage wall height 10ft 6"

he has a 4 poster ramp in there  which has all his workshop equip on it,since he got rid of second car 

put ramp up --car drives below it and you got 5ft+ of space for stuff on top of ramp --with that or another car 

s/h four poster ramp --£500- £1000

that is a cheap second garage

 

Edited November 25, 2019 by scottishjohn

[joe90]

51 minutes ago, scottishjohn said:

A friend of mine has a stand alone garage wall height 10ft 6"

he has a 4 poster ramp in there  which has all his workshop equip on it,since he got rid of second car 

put ramp up --car drives below it and you got 5ft+ of space for stuff on top of ramp --with that or another car 

s/h four poster ramp --£500- £1000

that is a cheap second garage

 

 

I sooo want a 2 post car lift to rebuild my kit car but know it will only be used fir the one job so can’t justify the cost, guess it’s down to axle stands and crawling under it.

[Big Jimbo]

40 minutes ago, joe90 said:

 

I sooo want a 2 post car lift to rebuild my kit car but know it will only be used fir the one job so can’t justify the cost, guess it’s down to axle stands and crawling under it.

You can , i'm sure, pick up, single phase, Two car post lifts, secondand, for about £500. if you had the height, use it , and sell it on when you have finished.

[scottishjohn]

If i could only have one ramp 

it would be a 4 post with wheel free  every time  if there was a choice 

I got 1  x 4 post (bradbury)   and 2 x (hoffman) 2 posters  they have motor that can be single or 3 phase

 

[ProDave]

1 hour ago, scottishjohn said:

A friend of mine has a stand alone garage wall height 10ft 6"

he has a 4 poster ramp in there  which has all his workshop equip on it,since he got rid of second car 

put ramp up --car drives below it and you got 5ft+ of space for stuff on top of ramp --with that or another car 

s/h four poster ramp --£500- £1000

that is a cheap second garage

 

That reminds me of a friend that had a collection of expensive classic cars.  He wanted me to rewire his second hand 4 poster he had just bought and connected himself.  Not with the Maserati on the lift and the lamborghini under I was not laying a finger on the lift until there was not a car on or under it.

[Big Jimbo]

5 minutes ago, scottishjohn said:

If i could only have one ramp 

it would be a 4 post with wheel free  every time  if there was a choice 

I got 1  x 4 post (bradbury)   and 2 x (hoffman) 2 posters  they have motor that can be single or 3 phase

 

You are making me , and Joe90 very jealous. Be very careful, or you may end up with the pair of us squatting at your place, with our old cars. P.s i don't take sugar in my tea, but do like lots of it please.

[scottishjohn]

17 minutes ago, Big Jimbo said:

You are making me , and Joe90 very jealous. Be very careful, or you may end up with the pair of us squatting at your place, with our old cars. P.s i don't take sugar in my tea, but do like lots of it please.

the 2 posters are for sale -- only me here now -4 poster is coming to new house when built 

but £600 is bottom line --as they are not that old and proper ones with bottom frame work ,so suitable for floors that are not that good 

seen more than one 2 poster that just have the post, and no longditudinal arms on base , pull out of the floor when hairy arsed mechanic is swinging on a gearbox  to get it back in 

scary stuff 

[Onoff]

I have use of a Grazia 2 post lift. Ex MOT station. Came as 3 phase now geared down and rewired for single phase.

 

Unfortunately it now sits in the open air on a concrete slab. Limiting in when you can use it because of the weather and limiting it's life too.

 

?

[scottishjohn]

1 minute ago, Onoff said:

I have use of a Grazia 2 post lift. Ex MOT station. Came as 3 phase now geared down and rewired for single phase.

 

Unfortunately it now sits in the open air on a concrete slab. Limiting in when you can use it because of the weather and limiting it's life too.

 

?

2 post ramp was never  an  mot ramp 

all 4 posters  or a pit 

now 4 posters with shaky plates for one man  MOT operation for any new MOT stations 

[joe90]

17 minutes ago, scottishjohn said:

the 2 posters are for sale

 

I would be sorely tempted if you were not the other end of the country ?

[Onoff]

1 hour ago, scottishjohn said:

2 post ramp was never  an  mot ramp 

all 4 posters  or a pit 

now 4 posters with shaky plates for one man  MOT operation for any new MOT stations 

 

I can assure you it was. Came from the garage where I get mine done. Replaced by another 2 poster.

 

He also has a pit and a half pit.

Edited November 25, 2019 by Onoff

[scottishjohn]

18 minutes ago, Onoff said:

 

I can assure you it was. Came from the garage where I get mine done. Replaced by another 2 poster.

 

He also has a pit and a half pit.

 i do not  disbelieve you  ,but the  mot s must be carried out on pit with a jacking beam and swivel plates-

 must  have been doing them for a long time with no change in ownership to still be allowed to  have a pit -

that will be bombed out if garage changes hands 

Edited November 25, 2019 by scottishjohn

[Onoff]

24 minutes ago, scottishjohn said:

 i do not  disbelieve you  ,but the  mot s must be carried out on pit with a jacking beam and swivel plates-

 must  have been doing them for a long time with no change in ownership to still be allowed to  have a pit -

that will be bombed out if garage changes hands 

 

He has a pit and a jacking beam etc. Took the garage over from his Dad who is in his 70s. The garage has been there for over 50 years that I know of.

[puntloos]

On 25/11/2019 at 06:49, dpmiller said:

what car do you have now and what will the next one be? Every generation gets bigger...

 

 

My current car is a Nissan Leaf, exactly the size I made the car in the picture. 

Cars getting bigger.. mm.. I see two trends

 

1/ People wanting larger cars for bad reasons ("I am such a crap driver I need a tank so if I hit someone at least me and my little angel will be safe".. surely nobody else will ever think of this upon which this will be tank wars)

2/ Large cars being penalised for carbon footprint reasons. The more weight you need to pull around the more expensive.

 

People needing larger cars for good reasons I figure will stay the same since those reasons (I need space to transport my X) also don't change too much, if anything families are getting smaller and smaller.

 

On 25/11/2019 at 08:23, scottishjohn said:

If you really want a transformer garage 

then dig a basement under it as your junk/service room

I am suprised with the space premium in  modern house plots these days that more do not have a basement for junk+services

 

 

 

Basements, even 'unused' ones are really expensive though, no? I have the impression that a 'garage sized' basement is 50,000?

 

On 25/11/2019 at 07:55, willbish said:

My initial thought was that you'd be deceiving potential buyers if you advertised the house as with a garage.

If it suits your needs and you're not planning to sell then why not. But 2 metres deep is not a garage in my eyes, maybe workshop?

To be clear it wouldn't be a garage with the 2m wall depth, but if the wall is movable (perhaps even moved by us..) the new size would be 5.0x3.2m

 

Quote

Is that a shower tray in the corner of the garage?

Yes, to scrub the dog/kid/gimp

Edited November 26, 2019 by puntloos

[puntloos]

On 25/11/2019 at 08:16, ProDave said:

My garage has my Landrover in it.  I tell SWMBO that by doing so it reserves the space, so I can get either of the other 2 cars over the pit for an oil change whenever I want to.

 

If it suits you to use the garage for something else, then do so, but I would make provision for another room for the "something else" instead. 

 

Sadly my main constraint is space. My plot is tiny, and any new room will eat into the garden.. 

 

On 25/11/2019 at 08:16, ProDave said:

People do like garages even if mostly they would be better described as workshops.

 

 

Exactly, I think a garage is probably a good idea

On 25/11/2019 at 08:23, Sensus said:

 

What are you going to do about the mandatory 100mm (minimum) step down from the connecting door to the dwelling?

 

I'm not quite sure what this means. I assume you mean that the garage has to be 100m lower than the main dwelling? I guess implement it as if it were a full garage, but fill it with some fake floor if not using it for that purpose?

 

On 25/11/2019 at 08:34, Ferdinand said:

Certainly something I have seen; one was called a half-garage.  Particularly in newish houses, where built-in store cupboards are missing as they can reduce measured room size. @SteamyTea could call it a "Smart Car" Garage.

 

You need to decide what you call it in planning / building regs, and how you handle the conversion and future potential uses - which may require PP or Regs sometimes. Or you may choose to ignore that.

 

My current idea is to apply for planning permission for a full garage but just mess around with the internals e.g. leave out the main garage door and have a carport.

 

On 25/11/2019 at 08:34, Ferdinand said:

Obviously you need to do things like consider ufh if required, and putting your joists along the top of potential stud walls etc.

 

Fair point thx.

On 25/11/2019 at 08:34, Ferdinand said:

Also, calling it a garage may count against your required Planning Policy parking space quota if it is large enough - think it needs to be 6m x 3m, but check. For this plan, would need to be slightly wider

Are you sure? Current design width is 3.2m.. I guess it depends on the council too?

On 25/11/2019 at 08:34, Ferdinand said:

and be called a "garage" in its entirety. You then need to be aware is required spaces minus one will be enough for you.

 

I think the current dimensions commit you to chucking out the passengers in the rain, and reversing in only for a RH Drive car.

Mostly, yes.

 

On 25/11/2019 at 08:34, Ferdinand said:

 

So, really just map out your possible future plans carefully, and do not put stuff on the plans you do not want to have known.

 

Dirty bikes? Unconscionable :-). Wash them ?.

 

Ferdinand

 

 

 

 

Fair point, and indeed, the 'resale value' is quite secondary for me.. of course I don't want to do something that absolutely ruins it but ..